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In twenty years, from 1870 to 1890, the population of bison in the US was basically wiped out. From an estimated 8 million to fewer than 500. While events like expanding the railroads had an impact, much of this slaughter was done with the purpose of removing food sources to force Indigenous people onto reservations. … Continue reading
September 30 was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The day is in recognition of the past and ongoing harm of residential schools. In recognition of the day and to make sure reconciliation is an action I’m aiming to find research this month that features Indigenous knowledges and was carried out by … Continue reading
The short answer is not much. Unfortunately, according to a systematic literature review by Karjalainen and Juhola (2021), the research is really inconsistent in how sustainability is defined and what indicators are used to measure sustainability. There are also issues with diversity and representation and how social and well being factors are considered. Karjalainen and … Continue reading
I’ve spent enough time around hospitals that I’ve thought about what the carbon footprint is. It can’t be positive. And there have to be possible improvements. At the same time, it’s easy to think “it’s a hospital, the services are too vital to care about the impact.” I definitely understand this perspective and to some … Continue reading
Various nature based solutions are being used and proposed for cities to sequester carbon. These solutions include street trees, permeable pavements, urban green spaces and architecture, habitat preservation, and green buildings. Unfortunately, the contribution of these approaches is relatively small. Studies from the European Union show that these approaches can only sequester about 6.5-8% of … Continue reading
Today’s post is a little different. I’ve been working on a project for just over a year now and yesterday it was officially published. I teach sustainability at a university. I was frustrated that I couldn’t find a good and affordable resource for the intro class. There are resources out there but they are often … Continue reading
If you have ever stood in the centre of a paved urban paradise where the buildings, roads, and parking lots add to potentially already stifling heat then you know how uncomfortable the urban heat island effect can be. Temperatures in the city, particularly densely built areas with little vegetation can increase the temperature by several … Continue reading
Without question, the designation of public funds for cycling infrastructure is an intense issue with advocates and passion on both sides of the issue. Living in a winter city means the debate is perhaps more impassioned as people argue that too few people cycle in the winter months to make it worthwhile. But what if … Continue reading
We are in an unprecedented fire season in 2023. Warming temperatures and drier conditions caused by climate change are a major reason. But wildfires themselves also contribute to climate change creating a reinforcing feedback loop. And, new research indicates that this might be worse than previously thought. It has been well established that black carbon … Continue reading
I’m a big advocate for interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration. I’ve set up my classes to support this because the reality is that we need people to be thinking about sustainability across many different fields from supply chain to theatre. In addition, it is both natural and social systems that will be impacted by climate change, … Continue reading
Connecting with Science 